Kidney stones in women: main symptoms and signs, treatment and prevention

According to statistics, kidney stones form in women quite rarely, but at the same time they pose an increased danger due to their type and size.
Therefore, it is so important to know the causes and symptoms of the disease, firstly, to prevent its development, and secondly, to know when to consult a doctor. Due to the structural features of the female body, the symptoms of kidney stones in them are much stronger and more severe, so often women are not suitable for treatment of urolithiasis using traditional methods and require lithotripsy.

But all this is theory and statistics; in practice, each person is equally likely to have struvite and oscalate, so before deciding anything, be sure to consult a specialist and get tested.

Causes of the disease

The reason for the formation of kidney stones in women is metabolic disorders, changes in the chemical composition of the blood.

Factors that change the mechanism of metabolic processes are inflammatory diseases, decreased immunity, hormonal imbalance, drug therapy, hereditary predisposition.

Hard water plays a big role in stimulating the process of stone formation.

In regions where high concentrations of lime are found in drinking sources, kidney stones are diagnosed in 30% of the population .

In high mountain and northern regions where melt and lake water is consumed, urolithiasis is rare.

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Diagnostics

The symptoms of nephrolithiasis are similar to appendicitis, an acute inflammation of the bladder. To confirm or refute the diagnosis, the following examinations are prescribed:

• Clinical analysis of blood and urine.
• Ultrasound – evaluates changes in the structure of the organ, determines the presence and location of stones.
• Survey urography - x-ray of the urinary tract using a contrast agent. The method detects almost all types of stones, except urate and protein, which do not block rays and do not cast shadows. Urography determines in which kidney (right or left) the formation appeared.
• Excretory urography. Detects uric acid and protein stones, shows their location, shape, size, and assesses the condition of the urinary system.

Additional diagnostics include:

• multislice computed tomography - shows the parameters and type of formation;
• radioisotope nephroscintigraphy - determines the degree of disorders in the kidneys;
• urine culture - detects infection in the urinary system, the stage of inflammation, determines which antibiotics are best to use.

Symptoms

Kidney stones form gradually , and in the early stages the pathology does not manifest itself in any way.

If salt crystals enter the urinary tract, a slight burning sensation occurs during urination, which soon goes away (as the sand is washed out of the bladder and urethra).

The nature of the symptoms of kidney stones depends on the size and chemical composition of the formations. When a sharp stone moves in the kidney and the ureter is blocked, a sudden attack occurs, accompanied by severe pain.

The patient cannot explain the nature of her condition, since acute pain spreads to the groin area, back, and side of the abdomen.

Typical symptoms of renal colic are facial flushing, cold sweat, fear, and panic. The temperature rises to 37.5-38 degrees, attacks of nausea and vomiting occur.

The intensity of pain when moving a pointed stone is so strong that it can cause shock. Analgesics for blockage of the ureter do not provide relief. In this case, urgent hospitalization is required.

Other symptoms that indicate the possible presence of kidney stones include the following :

• cloudy urine (sediment in the form of a fine suspension is clearly visible in the light);
• impurities of pus or blood in the urine;
• urinary retention;
• nagging pain in the lower back;
• general malaise;
• slight increase in temperature;
• short-term acute attacks of pain in the groin area.

If one or more symptoms are present, it is necessary to urgently contact a therapist or gynecologist, who will refer the patient for further diagnostics.

Types and processes of occurrence

Disturbed metabolism, fluid deficiency in the body, and the presence of infections or inflammation contribute to the process. A condition where the concentration of salts has increased with a scanty amount of urine leads to crystallization and makes them insoluble.

Salt crystals, a blood clot or other sediment act as a kind of core for the growth of stone.

They are located one at a time or in groups, and can be of various shapes (round, smooth, pointed, flat) and sizes (small, medium, sometimes huge, in the form of corals).

Classification of stones

Depending on the mineral content, stones are classified into:

1. Calcium - oxalates and phosphates. The most common type, accounting for three quarters (80%) of the total number of cases. They are distinguished by the most durable structure and are particularly difficult to dissolve. They develop when the percentage of calcium and oxalic acid in the body changes, provoked by increased consumption of foods containing it. Occurs in an alkaline environment.
2. Uric acids - urates. They are formed from uric acid and account for 15-16% of manifestations of urolithiasis. In most cases, older people are concerned, especially if they have gout. An acidic environment is required for the development of urates.
3. Amino acids - xanthines and cystines. They are a consequence of a hereditary protein metabolism disorder. They are much less common and make up 4% of all species. This disease begins to progress in childhood and early childhood.
4. Magnesium-containing ones – struvite, newberite. Formed in the presence of infectious kidney diseases, their frequency is about 14%. This complication of urolithiasis mainly affects women.

There are cases when formations have a mixed composition with a combination of several provoking processes.

During pregnancy

Uncomplicated urolithiasis (that is, a pathology not accompanied by infectious inflammation) does not have an adverse effect on bearing a child.

Potentially possible renal colic poses a threat to the health of the mother and can provoke premature birth or spontaneous miscarriage.

During colic, a strong spasm of smooth muscles occurs - this is a natural reaction of the body to reject a foreign body and restore the outflow of urine.

During pregnancy, muscle contractions spread to the uterus, which causes its hypertonicity, resulting in termination of pregnancy.

The presence of kidney stones in pregnant women increases the risk of developing inflammatory processes (usually pyelonephritis), which can affect the kidneys and reproductive organs.

Treatment of pregnant women is a complex medical task, since most antibacterial drugs fall into the group of contraindicated drugs.

The specialist has to choose the safest pharmacological agents, taking into account the nature and severity of the pathology.

Surgical intervention is carried out only for health reasons , when the infectious complication is rapidly progressing, and conservative methods do not provide a therapeutic result.

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Kidney stones during pregnancy

A special place is occupied by kidney stones during pregnancy. Doctors studied 385 women with urolithiasis. It was found that in 23 of them (6%) the cause of kidney stone formation was pregnancy.

The question of the extent to which pregnancy contributes to stone formation or the growth of a pre-existing kidney stone has not been completely resolved. The presence of endocrine disorders, urinary tract atony, stagnation of urine and infection in pregnant women can contribute to stone formation.

In pregnant women, the parathyroid glands (epithelial bodies) hypertrophy, which causes hypercalcemia, which, in combination with other factors, can cause nephrolithiasis. The scientists observed 20 patients in whom urolithiasis manifested itself clinically during pregnancy (15 had kidney stones and 5 had ureteral stones).

The duration of pregnancy was different: 5 women had up to 3 months, 8 had from 3 to 4/2 months, and 7 women had the second half of pregnancy. They found that 18 of these patients had chronic pyelonephritis before pregnancy.

This allowed them to conclude that urolithiasis did not arise due to pregnancy, but due to chronic pyelonephritis. Pregnancy only contributed to the clinical detection of urolithiasis, which had previously been latent.

Complications associated with kidney stones and pregnancy

Of great practical importance is the question of indications for termination of pregnancy in case of urolithiasis and, equally, for surgical treatment of urolithiasis in pregnant women.

Abortion of pregnancy is absolutely indicated for urolithiasis complicated by nephropathy. Kidney stones during pregnancy are not an indication for it if there is no pyelonephritis and kidney function is preserved. If urolithiasis in a pregnant woman is complicated by an attack of pyelonephritis, then there is a serious danger to the health of the mother and fetus.

But even in this case, if a woman wants to have a child, she can not terminate the pregnancy, but undergo conservative treatment with chemotherapy and antibiotics. If there is no improvement in the patient’s condition within a short period, it is necessary to remove the stone, and in severe cases, nephrectomy.

Of the 20 patients with urolithiasis, pregnancy was terminated in only 7. Seven pregnant women underwent successful operations within 5 months: pyelo-, nephro- or ureterolithotomy and one - nephrectomy.

These operations did not affect the course of pregnancy. In 2 pregnant women, the stones passed spontaneously. The remaining 3 non-operated patients carried the pregnancy to term. Two of them had normal births and one had a caesarean section with a successful outcome.

Calculous infected hydronephrosis is especially dangerous during pregnancy, as it can contribute to the generalization of infection, damage to the opposite kidney and the development of postpartum sepsis. In such cases, it is necessary to promptly eliminate the source of infection in the kidney, restoring the outflow of urine through nephrostomy. In cases of severe purulent kidney damage, nephrectomy is indicated.

The tactics of a urologist and obstetrician when pregnancy is combined with urolithiasis should be aimed at preserving pregnancy and the kidney, especially since modern methods of fighting infection and surgical intervention can solve this problem.

Surgery for urolithiasis is not contraindicated even in relatively late stages of pregnancy. But when deciding whether to continue pregnancy, it is always necessary to take into account the woman’s wishes and the duration of pregnancy. Such patients require constant joint monitoring by an obstetrician and a urologist.

Diagnosis of urolithiasis

The basis for prescribing diagnostic manipulations is the patient’s complaints, conclusions of laboratory tests.
Basic methods that allow you to accurately determine the picture of the disease , the location and structure of the stone:

• ultrasound scanning of the kidneys and bladder;
• X-ray examination (x-ray);
• MRI;
• retrograde endoscopic ureteropyeloscopy (rare).

Treatment methods are chosen after determining the size and composition of mineral formations.

In urology, the following types of stones :

• calcium (oxalates);
• struvite;
• acidic (urates);
• cystine.

Calcium stones are diagnosed more often than other structural types. An unbalanced diet, taking high doses of vitamin D, hard water, and liver dysfunction (the mechanism for regulating oxalate synthesis is disrupted) play a major role in their formation.

Struvite stones are the result of an inflammatory and infectious process in the urinary tract. Stones grow quickly and are diagnosed at a stage when symptomatic manifestations cause serious concern.

Acid stones (urates) are formed when there is insufficient fluid intake, or when the water-salt balance is disturbed for a long time.

Those at risk include residents of the southern regions, patients diagnosed with gout, and lovers of spicy, fried and salty foods.

Cystine stones (formed from a sulfur-containing amino acid) are the result of a metabolic disorder in which crystallization of cystine molecules occurs.

The pathology is a rare disease - approximately 2% of the total number of patients diagnosed with urolithiasis.

Small stones have a size of up to 3 mm in diameter, medium ones - 4-10 mm, large ones - over 10 mm.

Causes of kidney stones in women

Among the causes of urolithiasis in women are the following:

1. disturbances in the metabolism of phosphorus, calcium, and uric acid - such as oxalaturia, uraturia, fructosemia, cystonuria, galakosemia, etc.);
2. infectious diseases of the urinary tract;
3. developmental defects or acquired pathologies of the kidneys and urinary tract, due to which the free outflow of urine is impaired
4. sedentary, sedentary lifestyle
5. fractures or disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
6. poor nutrition, consumption of unhealthy foods
7. metabolic disorders.

The risk of developing urolithiasis in women increases when living in areas with poor ecology or employment in hazardous industries, poor diet, abuse of salty, spicy and sour, fried foods, canned food, smoked meats, as well as when using medications such as antibiotics, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). ), sulfonamides, etc.

Alcohol or drug abuse also increases the risk of developing ICD.

KSD develops due to insufficient fluid intake, a sedentary lifestyle, hypothermia or overheating of the lower back and lower torso, poor-quality drinking water and a number of other factors that weaken the urinary system, disrupt metabolism and contribute to dysfunction excretory system of the body.

Therapy and surgery

The goal of conservative treatment is to remove pathological structures through the urinary canals and prevent the inflammatory process.

When diagnosing small stones, drinking plenty of fluids (up to three liters per day) and special medications that dissolve dense mineral formations are prescribed. The doctor creates a diet to prevent the secondary formation of stones.

Antibiotics are prescribed when concomitant infections of the genitourinary tract or kidneys are detected.

Surgical methods are advisable when standard therapy is ineffective or emergency measures are required to restore the outflow of urine and prevent necrosis of renal tissue.

Open surgery is performed only for health reasons (for example, when the ureter is blocked by a large coral stone). Endoscopy and laparoscopy are the most common medical techniques used in extraction.

Stones can be removed through a puncture in the lower back or through the urinary tract , depending on the structure and location of the formations.

Wave lithotripsy is a minimally invasive technique based on wave action on stones. It is used when the diameter of formations does not exceed 20 mm in diameter.

Drug therapy is suitable for patients whose stones are no more than 4 mm in diameter.

The treatment regimen used for urolithiasis is purely individual.

Methods are selected taking into account age , kidney condition, presence (absence) of chronic diseases and contraindications, size and structure of stones.

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Signs of coral stones

In women, the occurrence of kidney stones is more difficult, and the structure of the formations is very different from the stones that appear in the kidneys in men. In the process of deposition of calcium salts and other substances that are not excreted from the body due to impaired kidney function, a neoplasm is formed in the calyceal part of the kidney. It is called a coral stone, which takes the shape of the renal pelvis. The main component of coral stone is carbonate apatite, which is produced by the parathyroid glands. Glandular activity is more common in women than in children or men, which is why staghorn kidney stones are more common in women.

These types of stones grow faster and larger due to the calcium content in them. As long as the stone processes do not reach the kidney cup, symptoms do not appear. There are only general characteristic signs of kidney dysfunction. Fatigue, headaches, weakness are replaced by aching pain in the lower back.

Renal colic in the case of a coral stone is a rare phenomenon; it occurs only when the ureter is blocked by stone fragments or when they come out. As a kidney stone grows, it produces the same symptoms as kidney failure. It is more difficult to treat this type of formation and it is also difficult to identify them. They are usually diagnosed using an x-ray. New growths can be seen as clearly as in the photo.

Diet

The diet is based on excluding from the diet foods that contribute to the formation of mineral-salt deposits.

If you have calcium stones, you should not eat vegetables containing oxalic acid (lettuce, spinach, parsley), strong tea and coffee, chocolate, or meat broths.

Healthy foods - apricots, watermelons, low-fat dairy products, bananas. It is forbidden to drink unfiltered water and carbonated drinks.

Fried and salty foods are excluded from the menu . You should use nuts, soft cheeses, spices, and cod liver with caution.

The dietary nutrition program is determined by the doctor, taking into account the composition of the formations, age, health status, and the cause of the pathology.

Uric acid salts and urate stones

Uric acid promotes the formation of sodium and potassium salts. Their crystals that precipitate are called urates.

The appearance of such formations is mainly provoked by poor nutrition.

Such consequences result from the consumption of spicy foods in large quantities, fatty foods of animal origin, tomatoes, smoked meats, canned food, and alcohol.

Protein metabolism can be disrupted due to heavy physical activity, sports or fitness.

It increases with fasting, thermal exposure when visiting a sauna, the presence of chronic diseases, helminthic intoxication, and dysbacteriosis.

Urates are localized in the renal pelvis, periarticular tissues and joints of the lower extremities, causing their deformation.

Therapy for such stones is carried out by limiting foods containing large amounts of protein. Red meats, broths, liver, brains, lungs, sausages, cutlets, and canned fish are excluded from the diet.

Along with diet, drug treatment is used, provided that the uric acid salts have not yet petrified. Medicines that neutralize acid: Allopurinol, Blemaren, Asparkam, Canephron, Urolesan.

What not to do

If any symptoms of urolithiasis appear, do not self-medicate , take painkillers, herbal remedies or antibiotics. This can aggravate the course of the disease and provoke serious complications.

Some types of gynecological diseases have similar symptoms, but the treatment regimens for the pathologies are fundamentally different.

Make an appointment with a therapist , who, based on your complaints, will prescribe a diagnosis and refer you to a specialist (urologist or gynecologist).

Removing kidney stones using folk remedies

Drug therapy can be combined with traditional methods. Before using them, consult a urologist, since different types of stones require different treatment methods. Folk remedies cannot crush formations, but can prevent their occurrence:

• Drink freshly squeezed citrus juices daily. They prevent the formation of stones and stop changes in the acid-base balance in urine. During the day you need to drink no more than 0.5 liters, otherwise you can achieve the opposite result - stimulate the formation of oxalates. Citrus juices should not be drunk if you have gastritis, ulcers, allergies, high levels of acidity, nephritis, pyelonephritis.
• Eat 1 kg of tangerines per day for a week. Then take a 7-day break and repeat. The method has the same contraindications as drinking citrus juices.
• Brew tea from fresh or dried apple peels. Drink 2-4 glasses throughout the day. The product removes sand and promotes the disintegration of small formations.
• Squeeze the juice from the beets. Drink 1 tbsp. 4 times during the day . The vegetable contains oxalic acid, so the drink is indicated for urates.

First aid for renal colic

A patient diagnosed with renal colic should be hospitalized immediately. There is no point in delaying calling a doctor. The time spent waiting for a doctor can be spent on relieving the patient’s pain symptoms. The patient should be laid down, and a warm heating pad should be applied to the lumbar area. To relieve symptoms, you can give a no-shpa tablet.

IMPORTANT!

In order not to harm the patient, you should clearly understand that we are talking about renal colic. For patients diagnosed with tuberculosis of the urinary tract or kidneys, the heating pad is strictly contraindicated.

What to do when a stone comes out?

When a kidney stone passes, a woman experiences severe pain and deterioration in well-being. Other symptoms may also occur: diarrhea, frequent urination, vomiting.

The passage of a stone can be caused by:

1. Lifting weights.
2. Nervous feelings.
3. Taking medications.
4. Alcohol consumption.

In this case, you don’t need to do anything special. To relieve symptoms, you should consult a doctor. The problem should be solved by a doctor. The reasons for the passage of a kidney stone may be different, but in any case, consultation with a urologist is mandatory.

What ways can help cope with this condition:

• Taking a comfortable position will help relieve symptoms;
• when a stone passes, you need to stay in bed;
• drink plenty of fluids;
• diet recommended.

It is impossible to determine on your own which stones come out, large or small. An ultrasound is required. Drinking plenty of fluids will help speed up the passage of the stone and ease the woman’s general condition.

Treatment with medications will remove unpleasant symptoms, but such therapy provides temporary relief and is carried out in a hospital setting.

Diet is necessary in order to alleviate the patient’s condition. There are foods that are not recommended to be consumed during this period:

The diet is followed until the passage of the stone stops. You can make herbal decoctions that relieve pain and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

When the stone passes, it is prohibited to drink alcohol. Make warm compresses and take a bath. Treatment includes staying quiet, drinking plenty of fluids, and avoiding certain foods. The diet will help relieve symptoms faster and get rid of problems.

Forecast

Unfortunately, it is impossible to say that drug therapy is 100% effective; there is always a risk of treatment failure. But a favorable outcome is possible only under the supervision of doctors. If there are no results after a week-long course, a decision is made to apply radical measures.

Timely seeking qualified help will protect you from death. The most alarming sign is the appearance of renal colic and blood in the urine.

Kidney stones, symptoms of the disease

As a rule, kidney disease does not go unnoticed and is accompanied by dull pain in the lumbar region. But it should be noted that in some cases, the presence of stones in the kidneys may be hidden and such a problem can only be found when examining for suspicion of the presence of other diseases.

Lower back pain: debilitating and dull pain, pain on one or both sides that intensifies during physical activity or when changing body position. This is one of the most common and typical symptoms of the presence of stones in the urinary system. When a kidney stone enters the ureter, pain can be felt in the lower abdomen, genitals and groin. After a severe attack of pain, the stones may recede along with the urine. Renal colic: very severe pain in the lumbar region, which at times subsides and returns again. Colic can last for several days and in most cases stops if the stone passes from the ureter. Pain when urinating, more frequent urination. Such pain means that the stones are currently in the ureter or bladder. The presence of blood in the urine: may appear after severe pain or after exhausting physical exertion. Cloudiness of the urine. An increase in body temperature to 38-40 degrees. High blood pressure. Swelling.

A person can live his whole life and not find out that he is suffering from this trouble. But, on the other hand, it may be that a stone 3-4 mm in size can begin to move along the ureter and cause unbearable pain, from which there is a possibility of a person receiving a painful shock and the result will be loss of consciousness.

Removing kidney stones

First of all, to treat urolithiasis, that is, remove stones from the kidneys, you need to stop attacks of renal colic. There are the following stages of treatment: removing the stone, preventing the formation of stones again, and treating the infection.

At the moment, therapy for urolithiasis includes surgical and limited treatment methods. Limited treatment is associated with the introduction of special medications and adherence to a certain diet. This method is completely effective if the kidney stones are small in size. In modern medicine, drugs are used that can simply dissolve kidney stones. But you should keep in mind that the use of such medications, if possible, only under the close supervision of a urologist. If inflammatory processes have begun, antibacterial therapy is also usually carried out.

Surgical or instrumental treatment involves a series of surgical interventions in which large-sized kidney stones are removed. This involves crushing kidney stones using electrical waves (external lithotripsy).

Treatment of stones in the ureter

In the presence of small stones (less than 5-6 mm) in the ureter, which have undergone limited therapy, in 80 percent of cases they can pass spontaneously. This largely depends on their location: in the upper third of the ureter, stones are found in 25 percent of cases, in the middle third - in 45 percent, in the lower third - the possibility of their location is 70%

If the stones are large (from 7 mm to 20 mm) or if limited treatment is ineffective, external lithotripsy is required. The effectiveness of lithotripsy also depends on the location of the stone, size and density. No less effective methods are contact lithotripsy and urethroscopy. It is performed under spinal or general anesthesia. A ureteroscope is inserted into the ureter, with which the doctor examines the lumen of the ureter along its entire length and identifies the stone. Using a pneumatic, ultrasonic or laser lithotripter, the stone is broken into small fragments, the larger of which are removed using a clamp, and the small ones come off without the help of others after some time. After the operation, the patient is discharged from the hospital after 1-2 days.

The effectiveness of this extraction method is 60-95%, depending on the size of the stone and its location in the ureter (the larger the stone and the higher it is located in the ureter, the lower the effectiveness of contact ureterolithotripsy becomes). If neither remote nor contact lithotripsy is effective (mainly if the stone size is 2 centimeters or more), then the patient is offered laparoscopic surgery. At the moment she is a candidate for the first two. It is carried out under general anesthesia, after making 3-4 punctures, surgical instruments and a camera are inserted. After identifying the ureter located above the stone, an incision is made in its wall. The stone is removed, and several special, absorbable sutures are placed on the incision in the wall of the ureter. The patient is discharged from the hospital 3-4 days after surgery.

Bladder stones

Treatment methods for stones in the bladder depend on a number of reasons: the size of the stones, their number, and the presence of bladder outlet obstruction. If there is benign prostatic hyperplasia (adenomas, prostate), the stones are subjected to transurethral resection of hyperplastic gland tissue immediately with contact lithotripsy. If the adenomas are huge (60-80 mm or more), a transvesical adenomectomy and removal of bladder stones are performed. In the event that there are no adenomas, stones up to 2 centimeters are subjected to transurethral contact lithotripsy. For sizes greater than 2 cm, cystolithotomy is performed.

It should be noted that removing stones from the organs of the urinary system does not guarantee that they are completely removed and will not appear again, since in most cases (up to 45-55%) there is a possibility of recurrence of stones. After any surgical intervention, treatment for urolithiasis does not end there. Quite a long-term treatment in limited ways under the supervision of an experienced specialist is still necessary for the purpose of prophylaxis to prevent the re-formation of stones.

Disease Prevention

To avoid the formation of stones, it is necessary to maintain a drinking regime, monitor the quality of fluid consumed, eat right, control body weight and promptly treat diseases of the excretory system.

Kidney stones are a disease that not only spoils a person’s quality of life, but also poses a threat of developing severe complications. This disease requires timely correct treatment prescribed by a specialist.

If you start therapy on time, the chances of a full recovery increase. Self-medication for urolithiasis can cause irreparable harm to the patient’s health.

Treatment

Surgical treatment is prescribed in the following cases:

• if conservative therapy is ineffective;
• in the presence of complications.

Before surgery, the patient is prescribed antibiotics, antioxidants and drugs that improve blood microcirculation.

Surgical intervention can be:

• minimally invasive (low-traumatic, the operation is performed through small punctures or natural holes);
• traditional (open surgery is performed through incisions).

Minimally invasive methods include:

• Laparoscopic operations. A small incision (1-2 cm) is made in the lumbar region, through which a special instrument, a trocar (a tube) and a probe, are inserted into the kidney. If the stone is small, it is removed immediately; if it is large, it is first crushed.
• Endoscopic operations. Such surgical treatment is carried out through natural routes or through small punctures using an endoscope.

Traditional surgical methods include:

• Nephrolitomy is an operation in which a stone is removed from the pelvis or calyces of the kidney;
• Ureterolithotomy – surgical removal of a stone from the ureter;
• Pyelolithotomy – removal of a mass from the renal pelvis.

Traditional surgical methods are resorted to if the stone is large or the patient has kidney failure.

General information and statistics

A calculus is a dense stone that forms in the cavitary organs and excretory ducts of the glands. Kidney stones are formed due to impaired filtration in the kidneys and metabolism in the body.

The pathology occurs among both children and adults. Mostly men are susceptible to the development of this pathology, although this disease also occurs in women.

According to statistics, in the world 7% of men and 3% of women suffer from urolithiasis. In Russia, every second patient hospitalized in the urology department has this diagnosis.

Types of stones

Due to a disturbance in the metabolism of oxalic acid and phosphorus-calcium metabolism, grains of salts (microlites) appear in the papillae of the organ. They are excreted in the urine, or they can linger in the tubules, unite and become the basis of a calculus. Kidney stones come in different shapes, sizes and compositions. The following types of stones are distinguished:

• Calcium. A common type, characterized by hardness. Calcium stones are divided into 2 subtypes:

• Phosphate is a consequence of impaired metabolism. They have a smooth surface, are low in density, and dissolve well.
• Oxalate - the result of a passion for sweets and baked goods. The density is quite high, small spikes protrude on the surface. It is the thorns that scratch the mucous membrane, stain the urine with blood and provoke pain. Oxalate stones cannot be dissolved.

• Struvite is the result of an infectious disease, especially infections of the genitourinary organs. They grow quickly, so there are no early symptoms of stones.
• Acidic. Urate stones are formed as a result of a violation of the drinking regime, pH in the kidneys is below 5.0.
• Cystine. The formation is caused by an inborn error of metabolism (protein-based). They have an unusual hexagonal shape and do not dissolve well.
• Mixed (urate-oxalate).

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Types of stones

In the body, stones differ in several types:

• uric acid urates (their appearance is caused by the abuse of food rich in animal proteins);
• oxalates (this type of stones is most often diagnosed) ー the size of oxalate stones is usually larger than urate stones, so there is a risk of injury to the mucous membrane; their formation is provoked by eating protein;
• phosphates, calcium (this is a kind of mixture of salt, calcium and magnesium);
• protein, cysteine ​​and xanthine.

The size and shape of the stone itself may depend on where it was formed. It can be:

• calyxes;
• pelvis;
• bladder.

Stones come in various sizes. If we are talking about large stones, they can injure the ureter.

Features of the pathology

Nephrolithiasis is a serious disease that requires appropriate treatment and rarely goes away on its own.
This is one of the most common diseases of the urinary system; nephrolithiasis is diagnosed in people aged 25 to 45 years; in rare cases, the corresponding diagnosis is given to children.

Sand or solid particles often represent various crystalline formations: salts, phosphorus, calcium, toxins or small epithelial scales.

What types of kidney stones are there?

• urate or uric acid, the cause is often protein foods, both animal and plant origin, which significantly predominate in the human diet;
• oxalate - formed from compounds of oxalic acid and calcium due to a lack of protein foods, the most common and also dangerous, as they have sharp corners and can severely injure the walls of the organ;
• calcium phosphate with admixtures of salts, are formed as a result of eating mainly plant foods.

If protein metabolism is disrupted, cysteine ​​and xanthine formations may occur.

Important!

If you periodically experience stabbing pain in the kidney area, consult a doctor immediately - it could be stones.

Specialists will help you understand what types of kidney stones there are, and based on this, they will prescribe appropriate treatment.

Danger of disease

In the initial stage, small stones form, which may be accompanied by painful sensations when the outflow of urine is disrupted. However, this is often asymptomatic.

If stones remain in the urinary ducts for a long time and become enlarged, infection may occur, which leads to the development of an inflammatory process in the kidneys. In this case, purulent foci often appear; in an unfavorable situation, the renal tissue melts, which can lead to disruption of the kidneys and the development of renal failure.

Severe cases of the disease are life-threatening due to severe purulent complications and sepsis, which can lead to kidney failure and death of the patient.

Therefore, knowledge of the causes of urolithiasis, its timely diagnosis and treatment under the supervision of a specialist will help the patient slow down the growth of stones or facilitate their removal from the body.

How doctors determine the types and sizes of stones

To make a diagnosis, X-ray diagnostic techniques are used. More than 80% of stones are detected during survey urography. To determine the shape, location and diameter of stones, the following are prescribed:

• Ultrasound of the kidneys;
• MRI of the urinary system;
• Contrast-enhanced CT;
• intravenous urography.

If it is not possible to assess the severity of pathology in the kidneys or their performance, resort to isotope renography.

To determine the composition of stones, biochemistry of urine and blood is performed. Based on the diagnostic results, nephrolithiasis is distinguished from calculous hydronephrosis and urolithiasis.

Causes of attack

Renal colic can be triggered not only by increased stone formation, but also by other factors:

• the so-called wandering kidney;
• hydronephrosis;
• tuberculosis of the urinary tract or kidneys.

Be careful!

It is important not to confuse renal colic with an attack of other acute diseases (for example, appendicitis, pancreatitis, hernia, intestinal obstruction, ulcer or cholecystitis). Only your attending physician will help you make the correct diagnosis and prevent complications.

How to carry out therapy if symptoms of stone passage are detected?

First, you should definitely contact a specialist who will tell you in detail about this disease and prescribe adequate and effective treatment.

In case of stone passage symptoms, your home first aid kit should contain:

• antispasmodics: they increase the diameter of the ureter, which will facilitate the rapid and painless passage of the stone from the body;
• painkillers to reduce pain;
• drugs, herbs, infusions, decoctions that have diuretic properties.

Kidneys are a very important organ in a woman’s body. When stones form in them, their work is disrupted. This entails not only unpleasant symptoms, but also many complications. Therefore, you need to “know the symptoms of the disease by sight” in order to quickly carry out treatment and not harm your health.

Disease prevention

In a family in which a person with urolithiasis lives, each family member must undergo an annual examination.

Diet

The diet will be useful not only for patients after illness, but also for healthy people for prevention.

Such products are contraindicated in case of oxalates:

• any berries;
• sorrel;
• tomato;
• spinach;
• cocoa;
• chicory.

If urate is detected, the patient should absolutely not eat cheese and meat.

When phosphates form, it is forbidden to eat:

• dairy products;
• any vegetables;
• apples;
• pears.

In addition to diet, you need to monitor your health: avoid hypothermia, try to keep your lumbar region warm. Personal hygiene plays an important role in prevention. If the stone passed at home, it is necessary to do an analysis to determine the composition of the stone.

Prevention

After surgery, it is important to take preventive measures. Otherwise, stones may recur. Prevention includes:

• Drinking enough water (1.5-2 liters per day). And in hot weather or during active physical activity, it is recommended to drink once or twice an hour (100-150 ml of water).
• Dieting. The development of the diet should be carried out by a doctor, taking into account the composition of the stones, as well as the characteristics of the body and the patient’s medical history.
• Daily physical activity to improve blood flow. Walking will be enough. However, they must be regular and include at least 10,000 steps per day (it is not necessary to take that many steps at a time).
• Limit the amount of alcohol consumed (or better yet, give it up altogether).
• Reducing the amount of salt consumed - to reduce the load on the kidneys.
• Avoiding hypothermia.
• Refusal to drink drinks that are too cold (especially those containing yeast: kvass, beer).
• Timely treatment of diseases, especially infectious ones.
• Annual general urine test.
• Spa treatment. A patient who has undergone surgery to remove kidney stones is recommended, if possible, to visit mineral water resorts annually (1-2 times).

The doctor may also prescribe drug therapy aimed at preventing the recurrence of stones.

Traditional medicine in the treatment of urolithiasis

Traditional medicine offers several recipes for the prevention and treatment of urolithiasis. Here are some of the recipes.

Recipe 1

Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with the same amount of celery seed. Take the resulting medicine no more than 2 times a day.

Recipe 2

Mix horsetail, beans, blueberry leaves, yarrow and add water, then boil for 20 minutes. Take the resulting infusion once a day, 150 ml.

Recipe 3

Traditional healers advise drinking a glass of carrot juice before meals. Before turning to one or another method of traditional treatment, you should remember that it is unsafe. Any manipulations aimed at self-medication should be under the supervision of the attending physician.